1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to golf putters. More specifically this invention relates to improvements in golf putters which provide correct golfer head alignment for putting.
2. Background and Discussion of the Prior Art
Golfer head and eye alignment are important to successful putting. A golfer's eyes must be directly over the true target line of the ball in order to maximize the possibility of sinking the putt. If the golfer's eyes are not directly over the true target line, and the golfer perceives that it is so when it is not, then even if the golfer correctly strikes the ball, the putt will likely miss the target.
The bottom or sole of many conventional putters was either curved or rounded so that the putter head would rock or move, and in turn cause the golfer's head to be improperly aligned. And even where the bottom or sole of the head was an extended flat surface, there was the prospect that while part of the sole rested on the putting surface another part of the sole was not, and yet the golfer misperceived that there was co-planar level contact of the extended sole surface with the putting surface. Furthermore, golf putters were generally directed to merely aligning the front face of the putter with the ball, and the prior art generally disregarded or failed to fully appreciate the need to simultaneously achieve and maintain correct golfer head alignment and the golfer having a true perception of same.
Prior art constructions that were generally directed to putter head alignment with respect to the ball are disclosed in Raub, U.S. Pat. No. 3,387,845, granted Jun. 11, 1968; McCabe, U.S. Pat. No. 3,880,430, granted Apr. 29, 1975; Antonious, U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,877 granted Jul. 30, 1979; Lee, U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,468, granted Jul. 4, 1989; Paulin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,141,556, granted Feb. 27, 1979; Narry, U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,545, granted Jun. 13, 1996; and Culpepper, U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,279, granted Oct. 31, 1995.
One attempt to correctly rest the putter head on the putting surface and provide golfer head alignment is disclosed in Tsao, U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,528, granted Feb. 2, 1988. Tsao discloses and was directed to a weighted, extended flat surface, attachable sole plate. This weighted flat sole plate could, however, provide a false perception where part of the sole was resting on the putting surface while another part was not. This false perception would cause the golfer to misperceive level contact of the putter head with the putting surface, when it was not so. Further, Tsao provided multiple skewered sighting lines (with duplicate lines required for left and right eye sighting) disposed within a central cup. These multiple skewered sighting lines were confusing, would vary in effectiveness depending on the height of the golfer, and would be readily obfuscated by water or debris collected in the cup or by shadows in the cup.
Certain putter heads had rounded bottoms with scooped out bottom portions to minimize the slide or sled, such as is disclosed in Schmidt et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,218, granted Nov. 7, 1995. Other putter heads provided an elevated bottom to raise the striking blade and reduce slide, as is disclosed in Wolf, U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,365, granted Mar. 4, 1997. Still other putter heads had hollowed out bottom portions for filling with different density materials, such as is disclosed in Baumann et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,868, granted Oct. 19, 1993.
Many of the prior art golf putters heads, in attempting to solve alignment, slide or other putting problems, provided putter heads that were of convoluted design and construction, aesthetically displeasing, and unacceptable under professional golf rules and regulations.
The art desired a putter head which provided a true or correct level anchoring of the putter head with the putting surface, and which also provided improved eye alignment with consistently correct golfer head alignment, which provisions were readily and faithfully perceived by the golfer. The art desired a putter head, as immediately aforesaid, which also was aesthetically and functionally acceptable for professional golf use.